Expansible partition.



L. P. J. FARRELL.

EXPANSIBLB PARTITION.

APPLIUATION FILED APR.1a,-1911.

Patented Manga-19121 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WMe/SMQ www UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.y

LEONARD P. J. FARB-ELL, OF' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

EXPLANSIBLE PARTITION.

To all 'whom it my concern.-

Be it known that I, LEONARD P. J. FAR- RELL, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, vin the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Expansible Partitions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to portable partitions for buildings and other structures.

The object of the invention is to provide a partition of simple and durabletconstruction, capable of being quickly attached to the floor and ceiling of a room, or to the opposite side walls thereof so as to divide the room into a plurality of compartments.'

A further object of the invention is to provide a partition which maybe expanded or contracted to fit rooms of different sizes, and which, while forming in eifect a barrier, does not obstruct the light or prevent-the free circulation of air through the room.

A further object is to provide a portable partition ywhich may be used in the construction of cages or screens for banks, offices, prisons and the like, or for subdividing the pigeon-holes of desks, file cabinets and for other purposes.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices, so as to increase their utility, durability and etliciency, as well as to reduce the cost of manufacture. I

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

F or a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of an extensible partition construction in accordance wit-h my invention,'showing the same attached to the floor and ceiling of a room; Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the partition arranged in a horizontal plane and attached to the oppositeside walls of a room; the central reinforcing rod beingomitted; Fig. 3 isa detailY vpkperspg-icti,ve .Vie-W of one end of the partition, showing the constrncbien of the attaching spurs Fis-.eis a rerereetre View @.ffanefof the .rod reati-rire eyes @f Gla-Dips detached; Figa@ is longi- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

Application filed April 13, 1911. Serial No. 620,947.

tudinal sectional viewnof one of the clamps, showing the manner of supporting the reinforcing rods; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the partition with the rod receiving eyes or clamps omitted, showing the partit-ion used for subdividing the pigion-holes of a desk; Fig. 6 is a side elevation, illustrating a modified form of the invent-ion; Fig. 7 is a perspective view, illustrating a further modification.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The improved partition forming the subject matter of the present invention comprises an eXpansible body portion, preferably formed of a single length of wire or other suitable material bent in the form of a plicated spring so as to permit the body portion to expand or contract to fit between the ceiling and floor of a room, or between the adjacent side walls thereof, thus to divide said room into a plurality of compartments. The parallel strands 5 formed by the end bends or folds 6, are preferably of equal length and disposed in the same plane, while the terminal strands constitute arms 7 for attachment to end members or bars 8. The end bars 8 are provided with laterally extending spurs 9 adapted to be driven or otherwise embedded in the ceiling or floor, respectively, of a room, or in the opposite side walls thereof so as to prevent .accidental displacement of the partition.

The plicated spring constituting the body of the partit-ion is preferably of the expansion type so that when the partition is inserted between yany two fixed supports, the resilient properties of said body portion will `tend to spread the end bars 8 and thus assist in holding the partition in place. Secured to the end bends or folds 6, are terminal clamps having eyes `10 for the reception of rods 11, which rodsserve to reinforce the partition and prevent lateral movement thereof, while at the same time permitting free expansion and contraction of the strands. Similar clamps are also preferably secured to the intermediate portions of the strands and provided with eyes 12Y adapted to receive anY auxiliary rodv 13. Theseveral .clamps are. Veach preferably provided with.

attaching jngers 14,- adapted to be bent or coiled- `arQund the adjacent. strands; to hold said clamps position ron =the partition. 'I f desired however, the clamps may be omitted, and the rod receiving eyes formed integral with the partition, by bending or ceiling the wire at suitable points. or where the metal is strong enough, threaded openings may be formed therein for the reception of screw eyes, as will be readily understood. The rods 11 and 13 may be anchored to the floor and ceiling of a room, or merely bear against the floor and ceiling without being anchored thereto, or terminate short of said floor and ceiling, as desired. n

Vhen using the partition as a vertical barrier, the spurs of one of the end bars 8 are embedded in the ceiling of a room, directly above the point where the barrier is to be placed, after which the rods 11 and 13 are inserted in the eyes of the clamps and the spurs on the other end bar pressed into the surface of the floor, thus securely holding the partition against accidental displacement. It is obvious that in order to form a transverse partition or barrier, it is merely necessary to press the spurs 9 of the end bars into the side walls of a room or other vertical support, the expansion of the spring in both cases, serving to hold the partition or barrier in place. If desired, the spurs 9 may be dispensed with and the end bars S of the body portion provided with laterally extending eyes 15, in which event, similar eyes 16 will be secured to the wall, and a locking rod 17 passed through said eyes for the purpose of anchoring the opposite ends of said partition, as best shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. It will be noted that by making the partition in this manner, not only is the latter free to expand and contract to fit rooms of different sizes, but by reason of the formation of the strands 5 of the barrier, said barrier does not obstruct the light, and air is free to circulate through the partition from one compartment to another. Vhen forming cages for banks, Aoffices and the like, several of said partitions will be connected in any suitable manner.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings, there is illustrated a further modification, in which the partition is formed of a single strip of flat metal folded upon itself at predetermined intervals to produce terminal ears 18 having eyes 19 formed therein for the reception of a reinforcing rod 20, there being similar eyes 21 formed in the intermediate portions of the flat strands 5 for the reception of an auxiliary rod, the construction and operation of this form of the device being otherwise similar to that shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Owing to the expansible properties of the body portion of the partition and the flexibility thereof, the partition, when the reinforcing rods are removed, may be bent to form cages or screens of cylindrical, rectangular or other cross sectional formation.

The partition is also designed for subdividing the pigeon-holes of desks, file cabinets and the like, in which event, said partition will be relatively small and the rod receiving eyes omitted, so as to fit within the pigeonholes, and in which position, they will be retained by means of the spurs 9, or by nailing or otherwise fastening the ends of the partitions to the adjacent walls of the pigeon-holes, as best shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. If desired, however, the pigeonhole partition, instead. of being formed of expansible metal, as shown in Fig. 5, may be constructed from a piece of flat flexible metal, the upper edge of the metal plate being secured to the top of the pigeon-hole and the lower edge thereof spaced from the bottom of said pigeon-hole, or when a rigid plate is employed, the lower edge of said plate may be connected to the bottom of the pigeon-hole by a plicated spring of the conv struction shown in Figs. 1 and 6 of the drawings.

`W'hile the structure shown and described is principally designed for use as a partition, it will of course be understood that the device may be used with equally good results as a substitute for shades, curtains, gates, fences or wherever a device of this character is found desirable or practical. It will also be understood that the spring constituting the body of the partition may be of the contractile instead of the expansion type, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

An important feature of the invention resides in the fact that the spring comprising the partition may be compressed to form a solid surface, or expanded and attached to sheet iron, steel, wood and the like, the whole to form an expansible partition, or the springs may be used as a skeleton frame adapted to receive a covering of wire gauze, cloth or suitable opaque material to eX- clude the light.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A portable partition comprising end lbars having means for attachment to a support, and a plicated spring forming a connection between said end bars.

2. A portable partition comprising end bars having means for attachment to a support, and an eXpansible plicated spring forming a connection between said bars and having the strands thereof of equal length.

3. A portable partition comprising an eX- pansible plicated spring having the opposite ends thereof bent to form terminal arms, end bars secured to said arms, and anchoring spurs carried by the end bars for engagement with a support.

4. A portable partition comprising an elongated body portion free to expand and contract and formed of a single length of wire bent to produce a plicated spring, the strands of which are of equal length, and end bars secured to the body portion and provided with laterally extending spurs for engagement with a support.

5. The combination with spaced supports, of a portable partition interposed between said supports and comprising an extensible body portion formed of a plicated spring, and end bars secured to the opposite terminals of the spring and bearing against the adjacent supports, said body portion being expansible, thereby to hold the end bars in engagement with said supports.

6. A portable partition comprising an eX- tensible body portion having means at its opposite ends for engagement with a fixed support, and eyes extending laterally from the body portion for the reception of reinforcing rods.

7. An expansible partition formed ofY a single length of metal bent at predetermined intervals to form spaced strands, eyes extending laterally from the partition at the bent portions thereof for the reception of reinforcing rods, and auxiliary eyes extend ing laterally from the intermediate portions of {he strands and adapted to receive similar ro s.

8. An expansible partition formed of a single length of metal bent or folded upon itself at predetermined intervals to form spaced strands, clamping members having eyes formed therein and provided with attaching fingers for engagement with the met-al at the bends or folds thereof, and reinforcing rods extending through said eyes.

9. A portable partition comprising a body portion free to expand and contract and formed of a single length of wire bent to produce a plicated spring, and end supports secured to the spring for engagement with a fixed support.

10. A portable partition comprising a plicated body portion free to expand and contract, and means carried by the opposite ends of the body portion for engagement with a fixed support.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEONARD l. J. FARRELL.

Witnesses:

BoHwIND J. Gnoss, Rosin J. Koss.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

